EuthaBelle Mable Starkey
December 12, 1921 – August 13, 2016
EuthaBelle Mable (Burnett) Starkey passed away on August 13, 2016. she was 94. She was born on December 12, 1921 in Madison County, Florida to Mable and Lonnie Burnett. Her family called her Belle, a middle name which has been given to two of her great granddaughters.
During WW II she worked in Orlando, Florida at the Air Force Base. Due to her dislike of her given name, EuthaBelle, she would not share her first name. Those who worked with her gave her the nickname,” Bernie”, a shortened version of Burnett, a name she carried for most of her adult life. While living in Orlando and working at the Army base, she met Lieutenant Donald Starkey. After his return from the war, they were married on April 13, 1946 and subsequently moved to Wisconsin near to Donald’s family. They lived there for 10 years, later moving to Iowa for the next 30 years. After retirement, they returned to live in Florida, closer to her family.
She was the mother of two children; Carol (Starkey) Taylor and her husband Wayne Taylor of Hartford, CT; and Donald Gene Starkey, Jr., who passed away at age 2. She was a sweet loving grandma to her 5 grandchildren; Karen and her husband Kenneth Eliason of Richmond, VA, Lindsay and her husband Peter Gurr of San Antonio, TX, David Taylor of East Hartford, CT, Rachel and her husband Kolby Oswald of Danbury, CT and Ashley and her husband Nick Thompson of Oahu, HI and her 15 great grandchildren.
EuthaBelle is also survived by her brother L.C. Burnett of Utah and Herman (HL) Burnett of Haines City, FL. She was predeceased by her husband, Donald Gene Starkey, Sr.; two brothers, Thurman and John (Buddy) Burnett and her sister, Hazel Brannen.
Both EulaBelle and her husband were active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (also known as The Mormons.) They were instrumental in building up and strengthen the members of the church in both Wisconsin and Iowa. After return to Florida they continued attending the church there in Haines City, where their life of service was returned to them during their final years., The wonderful people of their congregation were a constant support to them.
A visitation will be Wednesday, August 17, 2016 from 9:30 am until the funeral at 10:00 am at Oak Ridge Funeral Care in Haines City and she will laid to rest with her husband at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, FL on Wednesday at 1:30 pm. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to: the Missionary fund of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints